Prime Minister, Mark Carney Wednesday concluded his participation at the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, Türkiye. At the Summit, Canada and our Allies signed a joint declaration reaffirming their commitment to NATO and to transatlantic security. Canada is on a clear path to meet NATO’s target of investing 5% of GDP in defence by 2035. We are moving fast, making ambitious and strategic defence investments, including in a new submarine fleet, the world’s second-largest fleet of icebreakers, and new aircraft, missiles, and cyber defences. 

To strengthen collective defence and security, Prime Minister Carney announced a series of new investments and initiatives to build up domestic and Allied defence industrial capacity, reinforce deterrence along NATO’s Eastern Flank, support Ukraine, and mobilise private capital in support of shared security priorities.

In Türkiye, the Prime Minister underlined new defence partnerships and contracts that will catalyse growth in the private sector, including An agreement-in-principle with Telesat for ESCP-P to utilise Telesat Lightspeed to provide sovereign, reliable, and continuous military satellite communications in the Arctic – expected to result in a multi-billion-dollar investment in Canada’s defence sector. An approximately $800 million contract with Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace to procure Joint Strike Missiles, a type of long-range missile, which will be integrated into future fighter aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force. An updated procurement strategy for the Light Utility Vehicle project to immediately limit the tender to two Canadian defence industry suppliers to deliver 1,600 to 2,100 vehicles and 400 to 500 light utility trailers for the militarised portion of the Canadian Armed Forces’ fleet.

To further reinforce the Alliance’s capabilities, grow the transatlantic industrial base, and support cutting-edge innovative defence and dual-use companies, Prime Minister Carney announced that Canada has agreed to open technical negotiations to join the NATO Innovation Sub-Fund. This aims to develop emerging and advanced technologies that are important for NATO’s defence and security, while giving Canadian innovators opportunities to access capital, strategic networks, and transatlantic markets. Canada will host the 2027 NATO Industry Forum to strengthen cooperation between Allies and industry to advance defence innovation and industrial capacity across NATO.